Nutraceutica case study: WMS in the nutraceutical industry
Nutraceutica, a company based in Ozzano dell’Emilia specializing in the sourcing and distribution of active ingredients for the nutraceutical industry, needed to increase warehouse operational capacity while maintaining high standards of traceability, accuracy and regulatory compliance.
With approximately 1,500 active SKUs, 600 customers and logistics processes characterized by lot traceability, FEFO (First Expired, First Out) inventory management and high precision weighing operations, the company decided to digitalize its warehouse using Stesi’s silwaSUITE WMS.
The project delivered measurable results, including increased productivity, fewer logistics errors and a significant expansion of storage capacity.
Challenges in nutraceutical logistics
Logistics operations in the nutraceutical sector involve particularly demanding requirements in terms of quality assurance, traceability and regulatory compliance.
Every batch must be monitored throughout its entire lifecycle, expiration dates must be managed according to FEFO principles, and portioning activities require extremely high levels of accuracy. In addition, Nutraceutica handles low Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) and customized customer preparations, further increasing warehouse operational complexity.
The implemented solution
To address these challenges, Nutraceutica adopted Stesi’s silwaSUITE WMS, fully digitalizing its warehouse and logistics processes. The project included:
- Guided warehouse operations through barcode RF terminals
- Full lot and expiration date traceability
- Automated FEFO inventory rotation management
- Integration of industrial weighing scales with the WMS
- Elimination of paper-based documentation
- Automated label printing
- Real-time inventory visibility and stock monitoring
Particular attention was dedicated to the six controlled atmosphere rooms used for powder portioning activities, where digitalization significantly improved both operational efficiency and quality control.
Results achieved
The implementation of the warehouse management system generated tangible benefits across productivity, service quality and warehouse space utilization.
| KPI | Result |
|---|---|
| Productivity per operator | +25% |
| Logistics claims | -79% |
| Pallet locations | From 400 to 1,100 |
| Storage capacity | +175% |
| Weighing accuracy | Up to 0.0001 g |
The elimination of manual activities and paper-based data entry enabled warehouse operators to work faster and with fewer errors, while simultaneously improving customer service quality. Another key outcome of the project concerns traceability management.
Thanks to the WMS, every batch is identified and tracked throughout all warehouse processes, from goods receipt to outbound shipping. FEFO logic ensures that products with the nearest expiration date are picked and shipped first, reducing the risk of obsolescence and waste. The integration of industrial scales also eliminated transcription errors, ensuring maximum accuracy in weighing and packaging operations.
